May: Well, this is a new addition...

Bakura: I thought you are not going to add another?

May: I decided to remove my other story. And I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Bakura: Makes sense.

May: This might be my last...update.

Chapter 17

The sun had risen over the kingdom of Egypt. The people were slowly setting up their stalls to begin another new day, farmers watering and planting crops, servants cleaning and fetching water for their owners, and peasants complaining about their endless hardships in the fields. To sum, it all up, all the Egyptians are busy. Even some mischievous young boys who had done something unforgettable.

In the royal palace in Memphis...

The three musketeers were still asleep, together. They looked worn out from their activity last night. And sure enough, they decided to stay in one room for them not be separated. Bakura was on the left side of the bed, his leg over Marik's waist, with his mouth hanging open. Marik, meanwhile was snuggled close to him, Malik was on the right, clutching the sheets with both of his hands. The sun streaking through the open balcony doors, showering them with Ra's warmth and a signal to wake up and begin their duties for the day.

In another part of the palace...

The young prince was already awake, due to the fact that sometimes he have nightmares that scared him to death. And he couldn't sleep after waking up. Or he doesn't want to sleep. But now it was entirely different. He knew somehow something was amiss. He stood up and went out of his chambers. Passing the occasional servants and guards that were heading for their duties. He then saw the magician-in-training, his bestfriend, Mahad, practicing.

He ran towards his friend. His friend hearing the approaching footsteps looked at his direction and smiled, waving his arm, "Good morning, Crown Prince."

Atem stopped and greeted his friend, "Good morning, Mahad. Where's Mana?" he asked, not seeing their friend around. "Oh, Mana? She was in an errand." Mahad told him. "Oh." he looked around, "Wonder where the three musketeers are."

Mahad put down his wand and looked at him, "Knowing them, they might be setting their plans in motion..." "Or...sleeping?" Atem countered. "Probably." the former nodded. "I wonder what made them so tired and not able to wake up in their usual routine." the young prince mused.

"Meaning their usual routine in messing up everyone's lives around here?" Mahad joked.

"Yeah." Atem mused, "Eversince they arrived, the palace has never been livelier." he said.

"Or noisier for that matter."

"Chaotic is much better." they looked at the direction of the voice and saw the other priestess-in-training Isis, walking towards them.

Mahad blushed and looked away, "What brings you here?" he asked. Atem didn't understand why he was acting like this, but he ignored it. Isis then bowed, "Good morning, Crown Prince." the young prince nodded. Isis then continued, "Can I have a minute with you, Prince Atem?"

Without meaning to, Isis held the younger's hand and led him to the gardens. Leaving Mahad alone in the courtyard.

"Why did you brought me here?" Atem asked. Isis then looked around before answering, "Your sister's missing." she told him.

The young prince couldn't believe what he heard, "What do you mean she's missing?" he asked. "You might be joking." She shook her head, "No, I'm not. She was not in her rooms today...and I can't find her...if your father finds out..."

Atem didn't need to be reminded about that. When he and the three musketeers left the palace without anyone knowing, it almost made his father panic about losing him. He looked at the older woman, "So...what are we going to do? You know father will get wind of this later." he whispered.

"I don't know, my Prince. But we have to find your sister whatever happens."

The prince groaned. He knew something was up. He should have trusted his instincts. He then looked at the guards stationed around the gardens and thought of numerous of them stationed in the hallways...and more behind and infront of the gates. He gave Isis a look that says, 'My father's gonna kill me if he finds out we're leaving.'

Isis sighed and shook her head, "We're going with a few trusted guards of yours. Secretly."

"Wonderful. Secretly." Atem muttered, "And do you know how? Or we could hide in disguise...there are tons of people that will be coming later...how about if we mixed with them?"

"It would look like you left the palace. Again. Without anyone knowing."

The prince raised his hands in the air, "So...what do you want me to do?"

"Ask your father. Tell him that you wanted to go out and explore what the world outside the palace is without letting anything slip."

"If I'm lucky that father would let me. If not?"

"We'll think of another. Or ask Marik and Malik's help. They know alot about this place than you do."

"No fair!"

"We have nothing to do...and besides your sister is my responsibility...if something happens to her, it would be me who would be liable."

'Isis is right. Atemu is her responsibility." Atem thought, he then looked at Isis, the fire of determination in his crimson eyes, "Wish me luck and hope we find Atemu if she ever was not around here in the palace."

The priestess-in-training nodded and they went their separate ways, him to find his father and talk to him and to not let him know anything is amiss. She, to find her brothers and Bakura so that they could help. Somehow.

By the banks of the Nile...

A lone figure sat among the grasses. Her eyes close, as she let the sun kiss her face. Atemu then opened her eyes as she heard children a few years older than her playing near. They were five to six of them and they look like they enjoy the moment, playing with a ball. She was not jealous but she was lonely. One of the children noticed her.

"Hey! Do you want to play?" the child shouted as he waved his hand. She looked at him for an odd moment. She then looked back again at the Nile. Forgetting what she heard. She could never play with them, her father wouldn't agree with it. She sighed, she wanted to be a normal child for once, not some daughter of a Pharaoh. True, some would yearn or kill for her position but they didn't know what a palace life holds. She then brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around it.

The children then stopped playing, one of them went up to her, holding the ball. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked, walking towards her, he had dirty blond hair and hazel-brown eyes. "You shouldn't come near." she warned. He stopped, "Why shouldn't I?"

"It's because..." she then stood up to show what she meant. Hesitantly, the boy went backwards, tripping and falling on the grass. "Sorry about that." she told him. "Why didn't you tell me?" the boy asked, "And what are you doing outside the palace? I don't mean to pry."

She looked at him sadly, "I just want to see what the world was like here." The boy felt sorry for he offended her, "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude." She smiled at him, "No. That's alright. What's your name?" The boy shyly held out his hand, he didn't know what to do when a royal asks his name so he did the casual, "My name's Jono." she shook it, "Atemu." Jono then smiled, "So...uh...Atemu do you want to join?"

She was about to agree when she heard someone call her. She looked at the source and saw that it was her brother and Isis. Jono didn't notice anything going on. His other friends went near, one of them, with pointed hair went up to them and whistled as he wrapped his arm around the blond's shoulder, "Who's your friend? She seems a little meek." he looked at her and she looked back.

"Guys, I want you to meet Atemu." Jono introduced her, "And Atemu I want you to meet my friends, Tristan, the one with the pointed hair, Raphael, Valon, and Heba." They all looked at each other and smiled shyly. Without noticing it, her brother came up to her, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Atem asked, ignoring them. She shook her head, "I'm alright. How did you came to find me?" she asked.

"We searched the marketplace, the temples, though we knew somehow that you wouldn't go there unsupervised, and here."

"Oh." she mused, she then turned to her friends, "Big brother I want you to meet my friends."

Isis then cut in, "Princess we don't have much time. Your brother and I only managed to convince your father to let us come out for a short period of time. And if we were gone for so long...he might know something was up."

"Did you tell him?"

"Nope. If we did, guards would have been deployed far and wide in the capital to look for you."

She sighed. She hated it for that to happen. She then looked at her new found friends who were looking at her rather oddly. She looked at them sadly, "I got to go."

Jono then smiled at her,warily, "See you...around then." He then looked at his friends and they left. Atem then spoke, "You never told anyone that you left."

"I didn't mean to. It's just that..." she began. He cut her off, "You're lucky Father didn't know any of this. But if word came out...you will be in heaps of trouble."

She sighed. As if she didn't know it already!

"Come now, you two." Isis ushered the royals back to the palace. Atemu look back at the Nile River and wondered when would she ever come back to sit and stare at the sky again. Or get to play with her friends.

Back at the palace...

Bakura woke up and saw that Marik was curled up near him, and his leg was on the blond's waist. He removed his leg, scratched his eyes and pushed the latter off him, which resulted in him falling off the bed. Face first, in which the commotion had woken up the twins.

"Ouch" Bakura muttered. Lying face down on the hard floor.

Marik then woke up, noticed that Bakura wasn't there, poked his twin, "Malik, Malik!"

Malik then opened one sleepy eye, "What?"

"Bakura's missing."

With that, Malik sat up, like a rabbit sensing its predator, he looked at Marik, "Are you sure?" he asked. Marik nodded. Malik looked at him some more.

"Oh come on! I'm not joking!" Marik exclaimed.

"How sure are you that he's missing?"

"I don't know! But he was supposed to be here beside me!"

Malik rolled his eyes, "He might have fallen off the bed." Marik was about to answer when...

"BOOM!" Bakura shouted, from beside the bed. Malik fell off the bed, falling on his head. Bakura was laughing his head off.

Marik meanwhile looked at Bakura, "You know that wasn't nice at all." he reprimanded.

"Nah. Nothing's fun in this place except scare the both of you...and I don't care anyway whether it is nice or not."

Malik then sat up, rubbing his head, "How the heck did you end up in our bedroom?" he asked, forgetting the night's event.

"I slept with you, remember?"

With that, Malik's face turned red, "You did not!"

"I did. You asked me to. Since I sleep all alone in my chambers."

"When did I asked that?"

"Last night. After we ran for our lives."

"I don't remember." Malik said. Bakura rolled his eyes, "You tend to forget things."

Marik, (still on the bed) then spoke, "Do you two have plans in taking a bath, change into clean clothes and eat breakfast or stay here and talk about what happened last night?"

Malik and Bakura looked at each other then at Marik. Malik then stood up, "I'm right with you. Right after I had Isis checked my head."

"What? Did you lose some of your intelligence?" Bakura joked as he helped Marik fixed the bed.

"Nope. I just felt a little dizzy is all."

Bakura and Marik looked at each other then at Malik without saying a thing. They took a bath, (Bakura went back to his rooms to take a bath and change into some clothes)and met with the twins outside their chambers. Together, they went to the dining hall to eat breakfast. They met Atem and his sister and Isis on the way.

"Oh! You're up!" Atem joked, "You miss the fun."

"What fun?" Bakura asked, his hands on his hips.

"Oh...you wouldn't need to learn anything at all."

"Not fair!" the twins squealed. "Something fishy might have come up and we don't get to see it." Malik groaned.

"Nothing fun happened, actually." Atemu told them, "Actually-" her brother covered her mouth with his hand and looked at Malik and prayed to the gods that he didn't get the message.

"What was that all about?" Malik asked, completely forgetting the subject.

The prince sighed in relief. It seems that Malik completely forgot what the subject was all about.

"Let's grab some breakfast." Bakura motioned them to the dining room. Atem, Isis, and Atemu declined the offer, excusing themselves.

"Uh, we already eaten." Atem told them, grabbing his sister's hand and giving Isis a look which the priestess quickly understood.

Bakura shrugged his shoulders, "Suit yourself." He then entered the room with the twins on his heels. Atem, his sister and Isis went to the inner part of the palace.

"You're so going to regret letting those three alone in the dining room, Highness." Isis told him as they were going to his sister's room.

Atem looked at her, "Why's that?"

"Let's say that you will see the room not in the order that you left it." Atemu answered for Isis. The priestess-in-training looked at her, full of surprise. The young princess playfully slapped her on her arm, "Will you stop looking at me like that?"

They continued walking on until they stopped infront of her chambers, "What are we doing here?" she asked, seemingly clueless about what was happening.

"You stay here and I will tell Marik, Malik, and Bakura to fetch you here." her brother told her.

"Wha-" she was about to asked, when he cut her off, "I need to hurry off and I need to make sure you are safe."

"I'm practically capable of taking care of myself." she protested.

"Proving yourself capable means you need someone to look after you." he told her.

She sighed, "Fine. You win." He gave her a pointed look, "Thank the gods Father wasn't able to see through the permission earlier."

"Fine!" she opened the doors to her chambers, went inside and closed the doors with a slam.

The priestess-in-training and the prince looked at each other, silently.

"I need to go to my lessons." Atem told Isis, and glanced at his sister's rooms, "But I'm not quite sure if I could trust her enough to be alone."

"You can trust me, Crown Prince." the palace physician told him, "I'll look after your sister."

"I'm not sure about that."

"Well, since I'm responsible if ever something happens to her..." she drifted off.

"Pray that that won't happen."

"You must go. Shimon might threaten you with his cane if ever you were late." Isis warned him.

Atem nodded and went off to his studies. Isis, meanwhile opened the doors to the princess' rooms and went inside. To talk.

In the throne room...

Aknankamon was having a meeting with his council and the Sacred Guardians. They were talking about the impending war that the other countries were waging with each other and the possibility that it could reach them. But his mind wasn't in the politics, it was about his two children that he were thinking about.

"Your Majesty, is something bothering you?" Jedi asked, "It seems to me that your mind isn't in the meeting."

The pharaoh sighed, "You're right. I wasn't paying attention."

"Thinking about your children, sire?" Shimon asked, from beside him.

"Weren't you supposed to be with the Crown Prince?" one of the Sacred Guardians asked. It was not new to them that the Crown Prince has magical abilities beyond theirs but it was new to them that the old man would leave the prince without a supervision or someone to look after him.

"The Prince himself is studying quietly in his chambers."

"No, I'm not." a voice spoke. They looked at the direction of the voice and saw Atem standing in the doorway, his hand holding the scroll that he was studying earlier when Shimon left him to join the meeting.

"Atem, what are you doing here?" the pharaoh asked his son. He then stood up from his throne as his son walked towards him, his hand gripping the papyrus.

"Father, may I please talk with you for a minute? After that, I will return to my studies." he asked.

Aknankamon thought about it, then he nodded, "What is it you want to talk to me about?" he asked.

The Prince looked at the council and the Sacred Guardians in the room. He looked at his father again, "I want to talk about my sister."

Silence enveloped the room. Shimon gasped, "What is it you want to know about your sister?"

"Wait, Shimon." the pharaoh told his vizier. He looked at his assembled council and Sacred Guardians. They didn't know about the secret that he have shared with Shimon. "All of you. Leave this room at once." he ordered.

The council and the Sacred Guardians look at each other, Akhenaden protested, "But Pharaoh! We-"

"I said AT ONCE." Aknankamon told them. The council and the Sacred Guardians left the room. Quietly. The pharaoh then sat down on his throne again, and gestured to his son.

"Father," Atem began as he completely stopped infront of the dais and bowed his head, to show his respect, "I'm worried about my sister."

"Why are you worried about her?" he asked.

"I don't mean to sound curious about what was happening...but I kind of notice that she knew a lot of things like she possesses a millennium item."

Aknankamon looked at Shimon then at his son, "How sure are you about this?"

"Like awhile ago..."

"Atem, you know about the Seven Millennium items and their powers. Earlier, you saw the Six Sacred Guardians holding the items. The Rod, Tauk or necklace, eye, scale, ring, key and of course the puzzle. So how could your sister possibly be holding a millennium item?"

"Father, it's like something was emanating from the crown that she was using...it's like...I can't describe it!" the Prince told the pharaoh. Aknankamon looked at Siamun then at his son, "There's no way that could happen. Maybe you're just over thinking about it. The way the items emanate power when they were just being handled or hanged around the neck without the user using the Item's abilities."

Atem shook his head. He knew somehow his father was confusing him. And the fact that he knew somehow-and felt the strange aura coming off his sister's crown and with the seven millennium items. He looked at his father, pleading, "Father, I'm old enough. Why can't you just tell me the secret that you were hiding? I know there's something! And don't tell me it's nothing!" he shouted, "I knew something was wrong when you started using the Items...and I knew somehow that you were keeping a secret from me whenever we talked about the crown that Atemu was using and you would always dropped the matter like it upset you so much. Why? Is it connected with why mother died? Why Atemu was bullied by other children her age? Or both of them?" he asked with finality.

'The Prince was truly intelligent beyond his years.' Siamun thought, 'Not to mention that he suspected something at first glance." the vizier then looked at his pharaoh whispering, "Majesty, maybe we should tell him already."

"He's too young." Aknankamon protested, "His mind wouldn't be able to process the information."

"Pharaoh, your son is intelligent beyond his years. No wonder he knew about this somehow." Siamun told him, "This couldn't go on any longer...any sooner you would take him to the tomb and ask for the monsters to spare him for the making of the Millennium Items...and the secret about his sister possessing a powerful Item would be out in the open. Do you think it's wise for you to keep a secret that you were hiding for so long along with how the Millennium Items came to be?"

The pharaoh pondered about this. He then looked at his vizier and sighed, "You're right. Sooner rather than later, Atem would know about this. All of this." he then looked at his son, "Alright. I'll tell you everything. But you must be secretive about this. Do not tell anyone outside of us." he motioned to him, and Siamun.

The Prince nodded. Aknankamon then stood up, "Follow me to my study and I'll tell you everything."

"Is Atemu aware of this?" Atem asked as he followed his father to his study at the side of the throne room. Aknankamon let out a sigh, "I don't want your sister's young mind to be preoccupied with the very idea that she possesses an Item with incredible power beyond her own."

Atem nodded. Siamun then spoke, "Don't worry, Prince. With the training you were receiving, you're going to understand the power that lies behind the Seven Items and your sister's crown."

"Shouldn't Atemu know of this?" he asked the vizier who was also his tutor. Siamun shook his head, "In due time, maybe. But right now, it seems that it is for the best for her not to know."

Atem nodded. He remembered seeing his sister by the banks of the Nile, not minding the fact that crocodiles and other dangerous creatures lie in wait. But then upon seeing her talking to some commoners it's like she fit there at all. As if she was made to fit in two worlds, where reality encompasses the other.

Aknankamon knew at that moment that his son was right. He should know already. He sighed as he opened the door to his study, letting his son come first, his vizier then him, last closing the door behind them. Atem then sat down on the chair he sat in before. Siamun, meanwhile stood a little from the left of his table. He took his place behind the table.

"Tell me now, Father." Atem reminded him.

He sighed, "As you wanted me to." He quickly glance at his vizier before continuing. "When you were young, 3 or 4 years old…we asked what you like for your birthday. Do you even remember what you wished for?" he asked.

Atem scrunched his face, deep in thought, "I know I ask for a sibling." he then looked at his father, "But it doesn't have to do with any of this!"

"Believe me it does."

Siamun then took over, "Your mother was fated to deliver only one child. The Gods had willed it that way. With your wish, your father and mother decided on your behalf. More like your mother did." he stopped and gestured to Aknankamon to continue.

"Your mother at the time that she was pregnant with your sister, knew that she would die and the gods willed it. She had no choice." He told him, sadly. "But eventhough that her life was on the line, she knew that she wouldn't even be around longer…even if she didn't give birth. A few weeks after your mother's death, and the night of the concession of your sister to the royal family, the gods visited me, giving me the crown that your sister wears. Now." the pharaoh told his son as he took a deep breath.

"Your father told me after the faithful encounter with the gods. Ra had explained to him that the crown emits a glow very different from the millennium items. It gives off a very strong power that has the same with the items. The only difference is that the items have their own respective powers, limited to the user himself and the item. Meanwhile the crown itself, its user had the capability to use the power of all the seven items in one succession."

Raising his hand, Atem spoke, "Wait, I don't get it. The crown can use the power of the seven millenniums items right? How about its own power?" he asked.

"We're getting to that part." Aknankamon told his son, then continued where Siamun left off. "As what you heard earlier, the crown has the power to use all of the seven millennium items' powers and masked the power of any item, depending on the item that would be felt its power. Or stop an item." He finished then looked at his son, who couldn't even seem to believe something like this had escape his idea.

"I…it's too overwhelming." Atem confessed. Anknankamon nodded. "Now that I have explained what you wanted to hear, would you go back to your lessons now?" he asked. Atem nodded as he stood up, "Thanks for telling me all of that, Father." With that, the Prince left the room.

Siamun sighed as he heard the door closed, "Your son is quite observant and perceptive it seems." As he thought of their argument earlier.

"I know. After coming back from walking by the banks of the Nile." the pharaoh mused. Both of them then stood up, Siamun back to his duty in teaching the Prince. And he, to look at some documents that he had not seen for awhile.

Aknankamon then sighed as he put down the papyrus and went to his balcony, looking up at the sky, "Arsinoe…the past has come out again…Atem knows already what I have hidden for so long."

He then looked back at the room, imagining his son again, there, sitting. Then back again outside, "I fear that something might happen to our children. Hope that you would help me in this endeavor of ours." he said to the sky.

The message was delivered. But it seems like it wouldn't be of any help.

May: That's it.

Bakura: That's it what?

May: Chapter 17.

Yugi: Oh, goody! Wait, why Heba?

May: Many writers use that name, if ever that there is a part here that you think that came from your story, don't hesitate to tell me. It would be of great help if there wouldn't be strife between any of us.

Yugi: Comment and review! I'm Heba here.

May: Many writers had use the name...and sorry if you think I was copying. But then again, it would be of great help.